The 100: 3×15 “Perverse Instantiation: Part 1” — Episode 18

Clarke returns to Polis with Roan’s help, while Raven and Monty have to deal with an unexpected threat from within the group. Dawson and Kris discuss the first half of the third season finale of The 100.

General Reviews

Dawson: Ignoring the continued “shocking” torture porn, this episode was a solid OK to me. Much of the story has begun to feel contrive (Harper/monty to give jasper leverage, etc.) but as always Clarke Griffin saves the day to me in terms of storytelling, she is still one of the most compelling characters I’ve ever seen and this episode brought her together with Roan (another one of my faves) and gave her room to be exactly who she is, complex and dangerous and doing her best.

Kris: I think that this is a fairly solid episode, but I’m so worn out on Clarke’s behalf (and my own), that it’s still really hard for me to tell when an episode is objectively “good.” The pervasive torture makes me not want to rewatch episodes, which is never a good thing. That said, the various plot threads are finally coming together, and I’m relieved.

Raven, Monty, and Jasper

Raven’s big brain saving the world is Dawson's jam. It’s good to have her back, she’s a great anchor in a sea of unlikable characters

Kris KNEW that Jasper was chipped. Vindication!

Still of the opinion that the back half of Jasper’s story would have been way more interesting if they hadn’t wasted the first half of it with him being a drunk idiot. It would’ve hurt a lot more when he stabbed Monty if he hadn’t already been awful to Monty for 90% of the season.

What’s going to happen with Harper?

Pike, Murphy, & Indra

To the rescue!

Indra and Octavia reunited!

Murphy once again has to decide between saving himself or saving others at his own peril.

Octavia is gonna kill the heck outta Pike and I, for one, can’t wait. Strange that they were, in fact, trying to make him more likable with the flashbacks to the ark, it didn’t really work at all.

Bellamy’s whole “we’re not doing it that way” thing with Pike was so weird. Was it meant to be a call back to the episode where they killed grounders in that very hallway or…what? Seemed like an odd move with no organic build up.

Roan & Kane

Roan has been tracking Clarke this whole time, apparently. It seems odd that he hasn’t caught up to her until now.

Of course Alie turned pacifist Kane into a gun-wielding terminator. This plays into the issue this season has had with lacking characters we can root for.

Kris appreciates that Indra was looking out for Kane, even though he was programmed to kill her.

Clarke and Roan playing off each other is one of my favorite things. Their sassy political back and forth is still the best dialogue around. Roan seems to be a decent guy, for example when he tells Clarke that Ontari will know they helped her.

Clarke vs. ALIE

The torture continues. deep sigh

Using Abby against Clarke — ALIE’s THE WORST.

Interesting that Clarke would have sacrificed her mother

Clarke’s desperation is a dangerous animal. She’s going to do whatever she has to in order to stop ALIE and that is…probably not going to end well.

Also interesting that ALIE seems so certain that Clarke will break when they hang Abby.

Random Thoughts

Kris thinks she finally figured out what the writers have been trying to do, but thinks they went about it the wrong way (assuming she’s right).

Can we talk for a second about all the injuries sustained in this episode, and how most of them proved to not be fatal??? (Yes, we're still bitter about Lexa.)

It’s so good to have Murphy cracking wise during all of this because it helps lightening things a little. (Your show might be too dark when MURPHY is helping lighten things up.)